Rukassian Love
by hetaliafan101
Summary: (Tales of Hetalia based) After awakening from a strange dream, Alfred tries to figure out the feelings going through him, feelings of the kind he had never known before he came to Rukassia. Will contain AlfredxLillette. Rated T for colorful language. Tales of Hetalia belongs to Sailorearth10 (Youtube user). The cover image is a screen shot from episode 6 and belongs to her as well.
1. Dreamland

_Alfred looked around, seeing flowers set up everywhere. Somewhere in his sub-consciousness, he knew he was dreaming, but at least it was about something other than the war. Instead of a bloody battle field of somewhere in Europe, he was in a beautiful church, set up for what seemed to be a wedding._

_He walked around to see that he recognized the church. It was the one that they had found in Forain._

_The place where the destiny of he and the rest of the Allies was revealed. _

_The destiny as the Judges of Rukussia._

_He wished he could wake himself up. Alfred absolutely hated the discriminatory beliefs of the Church. The Church and everyone in it treated all demons like some crap stuck to the bottom of their shoe. Not all of them deserved to die, contrary to popular belief. However, since pinching himself wasn't working, he would have to endure it._

_Bored, he walked to the room where the wedding would be held. It felt more like gliding than walking, really._

_Alfred had come to the open door at last and looked inside the room. On the alter, the groom and bride were standing before the priest. That miserable old priest. The sound of the room tuned out, suddenly, leaving Alfred unable to hear anything that was being said. He looked around and saw Ivan and Yao sitting on a bench up front. While Francis and Arthur were no where to be seen, his gaze was fixed on Ivan's face. It may just have been a trick of the dream, but he appeared to be smiling. And not in his usual creepy way, either. It was an actual smile. The mere thought of it creeped him out._

_Alfred turned back to the alter. He couldn't see the groom in detail; it was just a black blurry figure where the groom would be standing. The bride, however, was crystal clear. She was dressed in the most beautiful white gown Alfred had ever seen. It's beauty shamed any wedding dress that could be found back home. She turned toward him suddenly. White hair spilled over her shoulders, and a sweet smile adorned her face._

_"...Lilette?"_

Alfred awoke with a start and sat up in his bed, shaking slightly. The outside of his window was still dark, and water was lapping gently against the side of the ship.

Before he could even get any kind of thought together in his head, he had a sudden aching feeling all over his body. He had figured that he hadn't properly cooked the burger he made earlier, but he wasn't sure.

_Is Lilette getting married? _The thought slipped into his mind unbidden. He quickly discarded it. It had only been a dream. There was no way that it could have been a promenition or anything like that. A demon, hair exposed, in a church that wasn't about to be executed was impossible. Especially a demon getting married in the Forain church. It was wrong and unjust that it couldn't happen, but in the end, it was impossible. There just couldn't be any truth to it.

_Then why do I feel so... weird?_

He went to the bathroom and splashed some cool water onto his face, hoping that it would somehow help the ache. All it did was get spilled all over his clothes. _Great. I look like I wet myself. How did it get from my face to my pants, anyway?_ He sighed as he took a towel and tried in vain to dry himself off.

After he had given up, his thoughts wandered back to the dream. _Lilette wouldn't keep something like this to herself, would she? And besides, she isn't interested in anyone, anyway. At least not like that. _His stomach twinged. He decided to just go back to bed and forget about it.

Sleep would not come to him that night.

Alfred tried and tried, but he couldn't shake the odd feeling that hung over him. He knew at this point that it had nothing to do with a half-raw hamburger, but then what was it? Everytime he closed his eyes, he would see Lilette, clad in an amazing white dress and a radiant smile, holding the hand of someone else on the alter. The mystery of who the man was ate at him. _ Could it have been me? _He shook the thought out of his head. Lilette didn't care for him in that way, and never would. The soreness on his body flared painfully, causing him to cringe.

_Alfred, get a hold of yourself. A hero doesn't dwell on dreams._

Alfred pushed the covers back, giving in to the fact that he would not be going to sleep tonight. He sighed as he climbed up the stairs and walked toward the kitchen, where he met with a certain goofy Italian.

"Veh, Ciao Alfred! I couldn't sleep well so I came up to make some pasta!" Feliciano chimed happily. Alfred realized that, while wrapped up in his own thoughts, he hadn't noticed the absence of his roomate.

"Yeah, I can't sleep either. I thought I would make some coffee." Alfred replied as he started boiling some water over the wood stove.

A concerned look suddenly crossed Feliciano's face. "What was it that kept you up? I just came up here because I was hungry. I don't know you too well, but after being your roomate, it's getting easier to tell when something's up." His sudden change of tone made Alfred jump slightly, though Feliciano seemed oblivous to it.

"Uhhhhh..."

"Pasta's done!" Alfred sighed of relief inwardly as Feliciano strained the spaghetti and squashed a piece of tomato in a bowl to make sauce. "It won't be as good as it would be back home, but it's pasta, so it will be fine. There would also be more of it, but I didn't want to take too much, seeing as it is from our supplies." Alfred smiled. Had this been anyone else asking him what the matter was, they wouldn't be distracted by something as trivial as pasta. He watched as Feliciano put the spaghetti, small as the portion was, onto a plate and top it with some crushed tomato. _It's to be expected, I guess. I've heard about how easy he is to distract._

"Ve, I'm sorry, I got distracted. I had been asking you what was wrong." Alfred looked up to the other man, barely concealing his disbelief. Why, of all of the times he could have chosen, did he have to increase his attention span at _this_ particular moment? What was he supposed to say? 'Yeah, I had this dream about Lilette getting married and I freaked out.' Great plan.

_Whoa, where did the 'freaking out' part come from? I wasn't freaking out, not really._

"I, umm, I had a dream that a cat was chasing me."_ Wow, I didn't know I was that much of a dumbass. What person in their right mind would buy that story, stupid? _

"Oh, ok. I thought it might have been something else." Oh, that's right. He was talking to Feliciano the man seemed to have a heart of gold, that didn't stop his inner idiot from showing. He suddenly giggled. "That must be why you wet yourself."

_Oh no. _"I went to splash some water on my face, and I guess I must have missed." He felt his face flush with embarrassment.

"Ve. I just thought I'd ask because when you walked in you looked rather sad. Heartbroken, almost. Well, goodnight! Pastaaaa!" Alfred nodded, taking in what the Italian had just said.

After Feliciano had skipped off, Alfred set about making his coffee, but his mind wasn't really on what he was doing. Once he had finished he took it to the table and sat down, stirring aimlessly as he allowed himself to be absorbed by his thoughts.

_Why would I look heartbroken? Or even sad? Afterall, if there was any truth in it, it would mean that the Church might actually stop being so down on the demon race, and besides, it would be Lilette's wedding. If the dream would make me feel anything, it should make me happy, right?_

_...Right?_

**A/N: **Well, my first fanfiction is underway! I'm sorry this chapter is a little bit shorter than I originally intended, but I had to cut out a scene. I know I'm not the best writer in the world, so if you have any tips they would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!


	2. Broken Steps

Alfred downed the rest of his coffee. He had been sitting at the table for what he guessed was hours, and by now it tasted cold and disgusting, but he barely noticed. He walked over to the sink to wash out his cup. All he could really think of, though, was what Feliciano had said the night before. How, in heavens name, could a dream shake him up that much? He was the hero, he didn't have time to be all hung up on one dream.

He was so caught up in his own mind that he failed to notice the footsteps of two individuals behind him.

"Alfred! What are you doing up so early?" Alfred dropped his cup, sloshing water all over himself. He turned to find Lilette standing behind him, accompanied by Yao.

"Yeah, I've noticed that Lilette has a job getting you up in the mornings, aru. Why is it that you are up even before us, aru?" Yao raised an eyebrow at him. Alfred could feel himself heat up and sweat. Unlike Feliciano, they wouldn't buy the story that he couldn't sleep because of an evil cat.

"Why Alfred, I think your blushing!" Lilette giggled. Alfred's eyes darted to a nearby mirror hanging on the wall. Indeed, his face was red. _Crap, this is embarrassing._

"Uhh, I just had a hard time sleeping for some reason. I just came up here for a bit to wait it out." Alfred spluttered out. Fortunately, Lilette seemed to buy it and set about making Arthur's tea. Yao, on the other hand, kept an eyebrow raised at him. Alfred cringed inwardly. Had he not believed his story? While what he had said was true, he prayed that Yao couldn't see it wasn't the whole thing.

"Well, judging by the bags and circles under your eyes, you've been up here all night, aru. Why don't you go get some rest?"

"Yeah, Alfred. I can bring your breakfast down if you want." Lilette turned away from the counter, with a smile on her face. The same smile from the dream. Alfred felt his face heat up even more. He turned away slightly, hoping that they didn't notice.

"Nah, I'm good to go. After all, a hero can't sleep all day, can he?" Lilette chuckled and Yao rolled his eyes.

"Well, alright, if you say so, Alfred. Hey, would it be all right if you helped me with breakfast?" Lilette asked.

"BAD IDEA BAD IDEA, aru" Yao quickly jumped in before Alfred could accept.

"Hey, it's not like I cook like Arthur!"

"Let's hope that no one does, aru. But you're no Francis, either."

Alfred felt rather disappointed, not that he couldn't make hamburgers for breakfast, but that he lost spending some time with Lilette.

_Whoa where the heck was that thought going? One would think we were dating. _Cue stomach twinge. _Again? Really man, this is getting on my nerves._

Alfred walked over to the table and sat down. And then began twiddling his thumbs. From there he started playing with his hair. _These guys are up here every morning? What do they do when they're not cooking? Count flies on the wall? _He looked around. _Well, that's out. There's no flies _to_ count._

"Say guys, after your done cooking and crap, what do you do to keep yourselves occupied?"

"Well, we chat a bit, maybe grab a book, you know. Then we make sure the food and tea is hot and get you guys up. Yao showed me how to play poker one morning. It's really fun. What was wrong with the last time we played? You guys were about to show me how and then all of a sudden you got up and left."

*flashback*

_All of them were sitting around the table, preparing to play poker._

_"I'll run by the different hands in a minute. What I want to know is if we'll be playing with bets..." Arthur looked around to everyone._

_"Duh! Or else, it's not exciting." Alfred said. What was the point in gambling if you weren't gambling something?_

_"What? But we all share our Gald... and we need our weapons, aru..."_

_France spoke up, smirking. "Why don't we just bet our clothes?"_

_..._

_Everyone, without saying a word, got up and left the room._

*flashback end*

"Ummmm... I'll leave it like this: Francis killed the mood and you would have hated his suggestion." Man, this girl is way too innocent for her own good. "What did you guys use for stakes, anyway?"

"Oh, we didn't use stakes, aru. Since we share our Gald and need our weapons, we just played for fun, aru." Yao piped in.

"Seriously dude, what fun is that?"

"It's better than betting clothes, aru."

Alfred instantly nodded in agreement. He would rather play with no stakes at all than do it Francis' way, as boring as that would be.

About a half hour later, the smell of mouthwatering pancakes filled the room. Alfred's stomach growled in hunger.

"Well, I'm done with breakfast." Lilette wiped her hands off on a towel and cast it aside.

"Alright, what do we do now?" Alfred asked. Boredom had set in quickly, and now it was worse than it ever was. Now, he couldn't be entertained by Lilette as she danced gracefuly around the kitchen while making breakfast.

_Alfred, control your thoughts and stop acting like Francis. You were only watching to see how she makes breakfast. Nothing more. Honestly, you are starting to act like you're in love with the girl._

Alfred felt his whole body flush over. In...love? Could that be the reason behind all of this? _It would make sense... _He mentally slapped himself. Of course it didn't. _I must have been hanging out with Francis for too long._

"Oh, I know. Why don't we play some poker? I want to see how good you are at it, Alfred." Alfred snapped out of his thoughts at Lilette's suggestion. Sure, that's what he needed. A good round of poker and perhaps a shot of whiskey would clear his head in no time.

"Sounds good. I've been wondering just how well Yao taught you." That was the farthest thing from his mind, but whatever. "Where did you put the cards?"

"After we were done, I put them in the cabinet downstairs, aru." Yao explained. "They should be on the second shelf, aru."

"Okay. Be right back." Alfred went over to the staircase and started climbing down. Because of it's steepness, he had to be careful. One slip would send him tumbling down. Suddenly, he felt the second step seem to bend under his quickly stepped off of it and carefully went over it. When he got to the bottom, he walked over to the cabinet on the wall and started to search. Other than everyone's weapons and some Gald, it was empty.

"Yao, I don't see them. Are you sure you brought them down here?" Alfred hollered.

"Just a minute Alfred. I'll come and see." Lilette replied. Alfred waited as Lilette made her way to the staircase. Too late did he remember the second step.

Crack.

"Oh!" Lilette exclaimed as she fell downwards. If a person hit their head on the floor at the bottom then they would more than likely get a concussion, demon or not.

Before he could even think of what he was doing, Alfred ran over to stairs. Just before Lilette could hit the bottom, he lept forward and she landed in his outstreched arms.

Alfred froze as an electric charge shot up his spine, causing him to jolt slightly. He thought he detected a movement coming from the far side of the room, but his brain didn't register it as important. In fact, nothing else really felt all that important. It seemed that him hold Lilette in his arms was the only thing there was. It felt rather romantic.

_What the hell? Francis must be trying to invade my mind or something. This totally isn't me. And as for romantic, there is nothing romantic about this at all. She fell down the stairs, I caught her, and nothing fucking more._

"Thanks Alfred. My, but you're quick. Strong, too. I feel like a feather right now."

_That makes two of us._

"Yeah, I'm told that I'm quite strong, even when I was little." Upon realizing that he was still holding her, he felt his face flush over. He gently put her down so that she wouldn't notice. "Are you alright? You took quite a spill there." He asked, trying to regain his composure. All of a sudden, he felt rather like someone had released a bunch of butterflies into his body.

"Oh yes, I'm fine now. Thank you." Lilette replied. Though she seemed a little shaken, she wasn't hurt.

"What's happening down there, aru? Did Lilette fall down the stairs, aru?" Yao asked, concern painting his voice.

"She's all right. We'll have to fix that second step, though." Alfred responded. "Now, for those cards." Alfred went over to the cabinet and took another look. Lilette, still a bit shaken, trailed after him.

"You're right, they're not here. I wonder where they went to." Lilette said as she moved everything aside. As she did so, a dirty pack of cards appeared.

"There they are!" They said in unison. They both reached for it. As they were about to grasp they pack, their hands collided and they ended up grabing each other's hands instead. Alfred felt he mysterious feeling shudder through him again, leaving him almost breathless.

*flashback*

_All of them were standing outside of the tower, just after unlocking the Lightning power._

_"Lilette, I think that I can ask this of you now. If you'd like, how would you feel coming home with us?" Arthur turned to Lilette._

_"Wh-what? Is that a good idea?" Francis asked._

_"Why not, aru? Our world is so much bigger and once it's out of turmoil, it'll be great!"_

_"Wh-what? To the land of Earth? Really?" Lilette looked around to everyone._

_"Totally. You can room with us and house hop. Oh, and you can stop us from having fights." Alfred smiled._

_"But, I'm a demon. Won't they, well..." Lilette looked away, avoiding eye contact._

_"The only difference is your color. If you hide your magic, you'll be fine." Ivan said, bored._

_"We can discuss this matter later on the ship" said Arthur. "Right now...this is all we can do... just find a way home before we start something awful."_

_"Yes... That's true..." Lilette agreed._

_"Yeah. Right now, we all gotta stick together." Alfred said._

_"Yes, indeed. The going can only get worse from here..." Ludwig declared._

_Alfred looked over to Lilette, noticing she looked slightly down. "Lilette, don't worry. You're with us, aren't you?"_

_"Yes..."_

_Alfred took her hand and felt his heart flutter. "Then you have nothing to fear."_

*flashback end*

_So, this wasn't the first time. _They both looked at their hands, noticing that their fingers were still coiled around each other. They withdrew their hands, with Alfred clutching the cards. They were both silent. Alfred, still trying to recollect himself, decided to break the silence. "There they are. I wonder how they got buried like that." _Wow. Only you could say something dumb like that in a moment like this. _He mentally slapped himself. _A moment like what, stupid? We went for the cards at the same time. There's nothing else to it._

"Oh, silly me. It's time to get everyone up already. Maybe we could play later tonight. It'll be more fun with more people, anyhow. I'll put these upstairs where we won't lose them again." Lilette, after getting the cards from Alfred, turned away and back up the stairs, being careful not to fall again.

Lilette walked up and put the cards on the table. Yao was doing something in the kitchen, leaving her to her thoughts._ That shouldn't have felt so...odd. All he had done was stop me from breaking my neck but it felt like something...more. _She shook her head. _I'm imagining things. He doesn't care for me in that way. He's a Judge, and I'm a demon. It just doesn't work... Does it?_

Downstairs, Alfred was still trying to get over what had just happened. _Control yourself. All of this crap is probably due to giving in to one of Arthur's scones a few days ago. Yeah, that's it. Stupid scone._

"Ohonhonhonhonhon"

Alfred froze. He slowly turned to see Francis leaning against a dark corner on the far side of the room, smirking at him. Alfred hadn't noticed him because he had been rather distracted, and the corner was dark enough that he wouldn't have been seen very well from the corner of anyone's eye, if he kept still.

Of course. That movement he had seen earlier.

"How long were you-"

"I saw everything, Alfred. Everything."

**A/N: **Well, I did say it would be longer. The first flashback is quoted directly from episode 17 1/2 from Tales of Hetalia, once again belonging to Sailorearth10. The second is from episode 18 3-3 of Tales of Hetalia.


	3. Denial

_Oh shit. I will never hear the end of this._

"Well, well. Look what we have here. I do believe there is amour in the air, no?"

"Francis, i-it's not like that-"

"Yes, that is what they all say. But, judging by the fact that you blushed like one of Lovino's tomatoes, I would say that it is. And I should know, being a Judge, no?" Francis snickered at his lame pun. Alfred could almost hear the perverted thoughts running in his mind.

They heard footsteps as Lilette started going downstairs, avoiding the second step. Alfred shot Francis the 'tell and you die' glare as she reached the bottom, tea in hand. He grinned in response.

"Oh, Francis, I didn't know you were up. Guess you couldn't sleep, either." Lilette beamed, walking over.

Francis held back a laugh. "No, I actually just got up. I heard loud crack and came out to see what it was."

Lilette's eyes widened. "You saw all that?"

_Francis, say one word and you will be eating scones for a month._

"Well, yes. Thankfully, Alfred was a bit quicker than he usually is. Strange..." Francis continued to smirk, but Lilette remained oblivous to the stupid conclusions he had jumped to. "Say, what did you mean by 'couldn't sleep either'? Did you not rest well?"

"Oh, I slept great. But it seems that Alfred was upstairs all night. I better go give Arthur this before it gets cold." As she walked away, Francis was trying to stifle a laugh. After Lilette was out of earshot, he failed.

"Ohonhonhonhon no need to tell me why. You must have fallen for her hard, no? I know how it goes. You have a dream about the girl you love and you stay up all night being in denial." Fuck, but that was pretty accurate. Except for the fact that Lilette and he were only friends.

"You don't understand. She and I are only friends. Not dating, not lovers, just friends." Alfred would have used a hammer to pound that into his head. Except it would probably kill him and Lilette could never love him.

_Way to condradict yourself, bro. You have skill._

"For now you are. Come on, just admit it. I should know when someone is in love. I am the nation of France, for goodness sake."

"Give up. What is there to admit?"

"That you have fallen in love."

Alfred sighed. "Alright, prove it."

Francis gave him a look. "My oh my, but you make a bat look like it can see. I seem to remember hearing that, back at Celeste's party, you danced with a certain young lady..."

*flashback*

_"Say...Lilette, Arthur's ass is mine." said a rather tipsy Alfred._

_"...What?" replied Lilette, who was quite confused._

_"Oh, um... What I meant was can I compare you both?" Alfred continued, whose stupidity was being influenced by both alcohol and nervousness._

_"I don't follow you...Compare?"_

_"Shit, um...his will reign supreme." _

_"His what?" Lilette asked._

_"Nevrmind...wanna dance?" Alfred asked, finally spitting out the question._

_"...Okay" Alfred wrapped his arms around her, and they twirled to the rhythm of the music._

*flashback end*

"Yao had overheard and couldn't help but ask me what it meant." This was something Alfred knew needed to register into his brain, but his mind was occupied by the memory of that dance. Even then, all that time ago, the butterflies still had him in their grip. All of that crap wasn't just from too much booze, after all. Was it possible that this bumbling ally of his was right? _You can't fall. No. She doesn't feel that way, so it's a waste of time. Hero's can't get their hearts broken. _

Soon he realized what he had missed.

"What a second... WHAT DID YOU TELL YAO?" Alfred had to bring his voice down to a whisper so that he could yell at him without being heard.

"Let's leave it like this: He looked at you funny for a while." With that, Alfred moved to strangle him. He was stopped when he heard Arthur's door open.

_Crap. It wouldn't look too great if I strangled him in front of her._

"I'm sorry to hear that your not feeling well, Ludwig. Did you want me to bring you anything?"

Alfred heard a someone groan, but what was being said wasn't audible.

"No, don't come upstairs. Stay here and get some rest. I'll bring you down a plate." Lilette closed the door and walked away.

"It seems that Ludwig caught some kind of cold. I'll let him sleep. I wonder why Kiku isn't up, though. He usually gets up not long after us."

"Perhaps he was sick, too?" Alfred suggested.

"Maybe. I'll go check on him." Lilette knocked on the door just in front of Alfred and Francis.

"Come in." Lilette opened the door. Kiku was sitting on a made bed, drawing.

_He's not sick, but I know he's an early riser. Why is he down here? And drawing. Who draws anymore? A five year old?_

"Oh, hi Kiku. I noticed you weren't up and thought you may be ill as well." Lilette noticed the sketch pad in his hands. "Oooh, what are you drawing?" Kiku's face flushed over.

"Oh, nothing. Just doodring. A spark of inspiration hit me and I didn't want to waste it. That's all." He quickly threw the sketchpad under his pillow. "I was about to come up and I heard a conversation outside my door. After sensing the mood a bit I decided it best that I didn't go out." _Shit. Well, at least he's not being Francis number two. He probably sees that I'm right._ "But I appreciate the concern. Is someone erse irr?" Kiku looked up after the redness on his face was under control. _That's funny. He doesn't usually doesn't show emotion like that. What exactly was he drawing?_

"Yes, Ludwig isn't feeling well. It doesn't look too bad though."

"I see. I hope he is better soon."

Lilette turned away. "I have to get the others up. Breakfast is ready." She walked to Ivan's door and knocked. "Ivan, it's morning." _Seriously, that guy has issues. I remember one morning she went to get him up and I could hear him yelling and shooting his mouth at the poor girl. It's one thing to be all creepy and crap to a guy but another to behave that way with a lady. _She walked down the hall to Alfred's door and knocked. "Feliciano, Alfred. It's time to get up."

"Lils, I'm over here."

"Oh, silly me. I'm used to you being still asleep by this time." She opened the door to find a sleeping Feliciano.

"Feliciano, it's morning. Breakfast is ready." She said in soft, gentle tones. _Man, her voice can be like total music. _He didn't even bother to mentally smack himself.

"Mhmm, good morning, bella." Feliciano moaned. Lilette giggled. Alfred couldn't help but smile. He had always loved that laugh of hers. Unlike some people's laughs *cough cough Francis cough*, hers was like a collection of musical notes rather than an annoying cackle.

"I just came down to let you know that it's breakfast time."

"Already? Ok, thanks bella" Lilette smiled and left the room, shutting the door behind her.

"Okay, hopefully everyone will be getting up soon. I'll wait for you guys upstairs." Lilette ran back upstairs, just brushing past Alfred, who felt himself blush at her brief closeness. _Look. You are trying to make Francis see that you aren't falling flat on your face for her. Blushing like that doesn't help your case any._

After she was gone, Francis started chuckling. "Aren't we a little jealous this morning, no? Is that a little green on your face, hmmm?" Francis asked, most insufferably so.

"What the heck would I be jealous over? They greeted each other good morning. There is no way you can twist that." Alfred crossed his arms.

"There is if he is hitting on her in the process."

Alfred cocked his head sideways. "He was hitting on her?"

Francis rolled his eyes. "Duh. What did you think 'bella' meant?" When he said nothing, Francis continued. "It means 'pretty lady' in Italian. She didn't catch on because apparently she thinks it's a nickname or something." _He had been... hitting on her? But why? He has Ludwig doesn't he? Why must he insist upon hitting on everyone else, especially Lilette?_

"Anyway, back to proving to your oblivious mind that you have fallen into amour. Don't think I didn't notice that blush. Or all of the other ones for these past months. Also, when you saved her from a broken neck, you never mentioned being a hero once because you were so distracted by having your love in your arms. Just put the peices together already!" Francis urged.

Alfred shook his head. He already had done that long ago, but it took a while to see the whole picture. Playing everything back in his mind, the dance, catching her on the stairs, the touch of her hand, he knew now that there was really no point in fighting against it anymore. A simple friendship wouldn't cause his mind to fall into anarchy whenever she so much as smiled. No, he cared for her _in_ _that way._ Besides, if you get into an argument with _Francis_ over whether or not you are in love, you have lost. He had fallen in love with Lilette Einmell, there was no two ways about it.

"Francis, there's no point in my keeping this up. You're right."

Meanwhile, a certain Japanese man was in his room finishing a sketch of Alfred holding Lilette in his arms whilst kissing her. That's when he heard the confession he had been waiting for.

**A/N:** Ok. A friend requested that I work in some GerIta. So, at some point or another, I will have it all set up to have a nice, romantic GerIta scene. The flashback is from episode 6 of Tales of Hetalia.


	4. A Fall and New Confusion

Francis smiled at Alfred. "Glad to see that you have come to your senses. Now, I think we have taken long enough down here. Let's go." With an almost evil grin, he added "Lilette is waiting..." and skipped off and headed upstairs. Alfred trailed after him as Arthur, Feliciano, Kiku, and Ivan stepped out of their rooms.

"Well, look who's not looking like they were dragged out of bed this morning. Good morning, Alfred." Arthur commented from across the hall. The others merely nodded in greeting, Feliciano mumbling something about Ludwig and pasta.

They all went upstairs to see that Yao and Lilette had fixed the table. Lilette suddenly looked up. "Oh, I forgot to get Flat up. I'll be right back" She started down the stairs.

Alfred was about to sit down when he noted that there were not enough chairs for Lilette and Flat to sit down. Even with Ludwig staying downstairs, they were still one short. "Hey Arthur, is there somewhere where there's some more chairs?"

"Oh yes. I think there are some down in the study." With that, Alfred went down to the study. He returned about a minute later, holding a chair. At the same time, Lilette and Flat were coming up the staircase.

_Crack._

"Lilette! Are you all right?" Alfred dropped the chair and ran over to the stairs. She was standing on the first step, staring down in shock.

"I'm fine, but Flat tripped on a step. It's the third one this time."

Ivan suddenly looked up. "Is she alright?" He stood up from the table and went to the stairs as well. _Well that was unexpected. _Alfred thought to himself. Alfred couldn't recall a time that he had witnessed Ivan go out of his way to see if someone was hurt, unless he was making sure that he had killed them thoroughly. Save for his sisters, of course, but this was different.

"What do you mean, 'this time'?" Arthur asked as he and everyone else walked over to see what happened.

"Another one broke this morning." Francis replied, grinning in Alfred's direction.

Flat was lying at the bottom of the stairs, clutching her side. "I think I hurt my side. Owwww."

"Lilette, can your powers heal broken ribs?" Alfred asked as he and (to everyone else's surprise) Ivan went down to check on Flat. Indeed, it appeared that she had a clean break on two ribs.

"Oh yes. A demon should be easier to heal. Is it just the one?"

"No, there's two on her left side." Ivan replied. _Man, he never acted like this even when his older sister got hurt a few years back. Worried, yes, but not to this scale. Perhaps all this time from home is changing him?_

"Ok, I'll see what I can do." Lilette put her hand gently on Flat's side.

"Owwww..." Flat moaned

"This may hurt a little, Flat. I'm so sorry, I thought it was only the one step."

"Lilette, don't blame yourself. I failed to warn you, don't forget."

Lilette looked up and met Alfred's eyes for about a second. _My gosh, but she has the most beautiful eyes._ She turned back to Flat. By this time everyone was whispering to themselves at the top, most likely about Ivan's strange behaviour. Of course, everyone on the bottom was too preoccupied to pay attention.

"First Aid." Lilette said loudly. Magic streamed from her hand.

"Wait Lilette, don't!" Arthur tried to stop her.

"Lilette, stop, aru. Let me help." Yao moved to start down the stairs

"What is it, Arthur?" Ivan looked up.

He didn't have to answer. The flow of magic slowed down and Lilette swayed weakly. Her eyelids slowly slid shut as she fell backwards, cutting off the magic completely. Alfred reacted quickly, catching her head before it hit the floor. Everyone gasped, wondering what had just happened.

"Lilette? Lilette. Lilette! LILETTE!"Alfred tried desperately to urge her awake. She just lay there, her body limp in his arms.

Flat had gotten up, now fully healed. "Alfred, what's wrong with her?"

"What happened?" Francis asked.

"Yes, why is she unconscious? Kiku looked at Lilette's unmoving form, save for Alfred's futile attempts to wake her.

"Oh nooooo. Is she d-" Francis clamped his hand onto Feliciano's mouth, knowing the effect that fact would have on him. But it didn't keep Alfred from understanding what Feliciano was about to ask. Instantly, he picked up her wrist to check for a pulse. Nothing. His panic heightened as he pressed a finger to her neck. Nothing. _No no no no no! _He laid his head over her heart. _Please, please!_ He heard, with relief, two very, very soft pounds against her chest.

"No. Please. She can't be. Alfred, what's the word?" Arthur practically flew down the stairs, being careful not to hurt Flat, who was still sitting on the floor next to them. Ivan also looked over anxsiously.

"Her heart's beating. But just. Arthur, start explaining! You obviously know something!" Alfred snapped his head round to see Arthur.

"She used too much magic, aru. Two broken ribs is a large injury which requires a large amount of magic." Yao replied.

"If you use too much, it takes away other things to compensate. You could pass out, go blind, or even die." Arthur continued. Alfred tensed up. _Could she..._ No. He rrefused to think about it. If Lilette died, he wouldn't be able to live with that truth. He'd probably go right off the deep end as a result. Arthur seemed to notice his mental distress. "Don't worry, Alfred. It's over now, so she can't get worse. Yao, Feliciano, do you think your healing powers would help her? I don't know that much about healing magic." Arthur turned his head to face up the stairs.

"I'm afraid not, Arthur. It's not an actual injury, so it won't be of any use aru." Yao replied.

Still worried for Lilette's safety, Alfred lifted her unconscious body into his arms. "I'll put her on her bed. Ivan, maybe you should let Flat rest in your room."

"Alfred, I'm alright. I'm completely healed." Flat protested

"You just broke two ribs, Flat. I don't mind you taking my room to rest for a bit." Ivan said, putting his hand up to silence Flat's arguments.

"Ok then. Owww." Flat held her ribs as she stood up. "Guess I'm just a bit sore."

"Here, let me help you." Ivan put Flat's arm on his shoulder and helped her walk to where his room was, leaving everyone else unable to pick up their jaw.

The same thought was running through everyone's minds as they stared at each other, and they all waited for someone else to put it in words. Finally, Arthur broke the silence. "Who is that and where is Ivan? He just... he wouldn't...he doesn't...gahh" Because of the shock that everyone was experiencing, no one could actually word it better than that. No one could deny that something mighty strange was going on.

_Could Ivan be... Is it even possible for him to? All of the signs are there, but... Ivan? _Francis, for once, was lost. Alfred, still holding Lilette, had given up on that mystery, figured he had some vodka or something while no one was looking, and went into Lilette's room. After resting her on the bed, he laid a few covers on her, praying that she would awaken. Even though Arthur had told him in all certainty that if she's alive now, she'll survive, he was still afraid. _She looks so peaceful now. Maybe it'll be alright. After all, if the expert on magic says she'll live, she'll live. _Just to try to reassure himself, he lifted her wrist. After taking a few seconds to locate a pulse, he felt a very small pound. _See? There's already a pulse in her wrist. She'll probably wake up later today. _He wondered if anything else had occured from using too much magic. Arthur had said that other things can happen. _Alfred, you'll jinx everything by thinking like that. Besides, if anything was wrong she wouldn't be resting like that. She would be in more distress, even while unconscious, right? Not so relaxed, not so at ease, not so...so...beautiful..._

It took Alfred a minute to realize that his face was leaning dangerously close to hers. He tried to pull away, but part of him prevented him from doing so. Instead, he yearned to lean even closer. _My love..._ He envisioned himself closing the gap between them, his lips landing square onto hers. He would let his eyes slide shut. He would let his arms coil themselves around her. If only...

He slapped himself. _What am I thinking? Shit, I'm worse than Francis. _He stood up to check himself in a mirror. Of course, his face was about twenty shades redder than it had ever been before. But he couldn't just stay in here, or the others would get ideas. Fortunately, his face got under control quickly. Stepping out, the others were busy staring at Ivan, who didn't seem to notice anything odd.

"How is she?" Arthur rounded on him as soon as he stepped in the room. Keeping cool, Alfred replied "Her pulse is stronger now. But wait a minute, what if that other one decides to take control?" Alfred hadn't thought about the other demon, the one living inside of Lilette, until now.

"Whoever it is, they can't. The overuse of magic would have drained them, too. I hate to say it, but it was definitely the difference between life and death." Arthur answered. _Crap. I'd hate to be in debt to that bitch queen or whoever she is._"Well, why don't we go and find some things to fix those steps with? We can't risk someone getting hurt again."

"I'm on it. Are there any tools around?" Alfred looked around to the others, thankful for the change in topic.

"There are some in my room, aru. There is a toolbox under Kiku's bed, I believe aru." Yao replied.

"Thank you." Alfred went downstairs. He stopped at the door of Lilette's room and looked in. As she took a deep breath, he sighed with relief. He couldn't help worrying about went into Yao's room and ducked down to look under a bed. _Nothing. It must be the other one._

Upstairs, Kiku felt his face drain of colour as he remembered what he had hidden under his bed earlier that morning.

Alfred raised the covers to reveal a dust covered tool box. After he grabbed it, he was about to get up when a sketchpad caught his attention. It wasn't the pad itself that drew his eye, but the picture on it. It was a freshly drawn picture of him with his arms around Lilette, kissing her gently.


	5. A Merry Night

"The hell?" Alfred picked up the sketch pad. _Shit that's right. he _had_ heard that conversation with Francis earlier. Seriously, I need to learn to keep my mouth shut._

He decided that it would not be a good idea to bring this up to anyone, and tossed it back under the bed. If Kiku asked, he saw a sketch pad but didn't bother to look at it. As he was about to go back upstairs, he glanced at Lilette through the open door. _Lils, you better be waking up soon._Alfred wondered to himself how she would take it if he got up the guts to say anything. Would she hate him, if he told her how he truly felt? _Who'd blame her? I mean, I'm a freakin' Judge after all. _He shuddered. He didn't think he could take that.

"Hurry up Alfred. We don't have all day you know." Arthur hollered. "You FROG! Get OFF of me!" Alfred chuckled, assuming that that was for Francis.

"Okay, whenever you aren't...busy." He couldn't help but tease him.

Arthur muttered to himself as he started to help Arthur repair the steps. Feliciano looked around, suddenly noticing that someone was missing.

"Ve, guys, where's Luddy?"

Alfred looked up. He had been so preoccupied by other events that he had forgotten that Ludwig was sick in bed with no breakfast. "Oh. I forgot. He's staying downstairs because he's sick. I better get him a plate, he's probably starving right now."

"Ve, I'll do it. I'm gonna go down and eat with him. Arrivederci!" Feliciano picked up a clean plate and put some food on it. He went carefully down the stairs and skipped off to Arthur's room, where Ludwig bunked.

Once Feliciano was downstairs, the two at the top begun to repair the steps. Arthur, while Alfred wasn't looking, stole a slightly confused glance at him. He could tell that something was different about him. First off, in all the years he had known him, he never willingly did this kind of thing, at least not without making numerous complaints about it. Yet here he was, actually doing some work. _It could just be because someone was hurt. He'll probably use this to feed his bloody 'hero' ego, the git._ But that wasn't all. He seemed to be extremely different today, more mature to say the least. _It may just be me, but Alfred doesn't seem like he did back home. Is this place actually making him grow up? _He looked over to Ivan. _He definitely wouldn't be the only one to be different as a result. I guess Rukassia is changing us all._

About a half hour later, they finished with the steps. "I'll go put the tools back under your bed for you, Kiku." Arthur offered. Kiku froze. It seemed that Alfred had not seen the sketchpad, but Arthur was a bit more observent than he was. Sparks would fly if he had seen it.

"I'll get that, Arthur-san." He grabbed the box from him and went down the now repaired steps before Arthur could object.

Kiku went down to his room and placed the box back where it belonged. _That was too close. _Just as he was about to get up, though, he noticed the sketchpad's position. It had been face up before, he was certain of it. _That's right, I didn't want the drawing to be on the floor and get dirty, so I put it face-up._ That's when it hit him. _Kuso__, so he _had_ found it, after all. What if he tells the others? Francis certainly won't let me forget this, he was bad enough teasing Alfred for falling for her. And the others will just kill me. Except for maybe for Feliciano. Ludwig probably won't either, seeing where he_ is_ dating Feliciano. _He chuckled at the thought as he pushed the sketch pad further back under the bed, after flipping it back up. But this time, he took another piece of paper to cover the drawing. Since Alfred was already head over heels for her he may not have been offended by the sketch, but someone else may raise an eyebrow at it.

***Hours later, in the evening...***

Everyone was sitting around the table, either playing solitaire, chatting, or drinking to distract themselves from the situation. Either way, the atmosphere wasn't pleasant. Several times one of them would go and see if Lilette's condition was any better. Sometimes she was in better shape. But other times, the situation was enough to drive everyone on edge.

"This is normal, guys. When you overuse your energy and pass out, your body takes some time to regulate itself." Arthur said in an attempt to calm the atmosphere and reassure himself. In reality, the atmosphere was so depressed that when Arthur had offered to cook supper, no one objected to the possibility of food poisoning.

After a while, Arthur went downstairs again to check on her. Last time she had been in the best shape she had been since she passed out, so it gave everyone reason to hope. Sure enough, when Arthur came upstairs again, he had an arm around Lilette and a smile on his face.

"LILS!"Alfred yelled as he jumped up and threw his arms around her tightly, not noticing the slight look of disdain on Arthur's face in reaction to the gesture.

"Yay! Bella is awake! Doitsu, let's go make some pasta to celebrate!"Feliciano threw his arms around Ludwig, who, in the midst of the events, didn't object for once and responded by wrapping an arm around him. Kiku ran downstairs for what Alfred assumed was the sketchpad.

Lilette looked at Arthur. "Doitsu?"

He laughed. "It's a long story. I think that Feliciano's the only one allowed to call him that." He replied as Feliciano dragged Ludwig out to the kitchen. Everyone, except Lilette, laughed at the implication. The night was certainly one of the merriest ones that all of them had known in a long time.

* * *

**A/N: **Well, this chapter is shorter than originally intended. But I did manage to work in some Gerita *YAY* The next one shall be better. Next up: Feels. I'm FINALLY getting to it. There may be food poisoning as well lol. Well, asta la pasta!


	6. Heart-attack

**A/N:** Warning: Pearl Harbor is brought up towards the end.

* * *

It was about two hours after Lilette finally regained consciousness. Everyone was having a good time, be it playing cards, eating Feliciano's famous pasta, etc. Alfred decided see just how well Yao had taught her to play poker. While Lilette proceeded to kick his ass, he was attempting to build up the courage to tell her how he really felt. He recalled the promise he made himself for when she woke up, refusing to think of how earlier that day, it had been _if_ she awoke.

_After this is over, I will tell her exactly how I feel. _He shuddered at the thought, no _fear, _of rejection. _After all, I'm a judge and she's a demon. Though the difference means nothing to me, it might to her. I _was_ created to destroy her entire race, after all. _

His body started to shake as he pulled the rest of his confidence together as he worked out exactly what he would say. _After this hand._ His hands must have been noticeably shaking for Lilette glanced tat him over her cards.

"Is something wrong, Alfred? You look a bit shaken." _Damn it. Well, it's now or never._

He opened his mouth to start the conversation that could break his heart, but the words that were spoken weren't his.

"Lilette, may I speak to you for a second?" Alfred closed his mouth to see Arthur standing there. His face was a bit flushed and his voice and body shook. He was in no better of a state than Alfred.

_Wait a minute, what is _he_ so nerved up about? It's almost as if..._ Alfred felt himself crushed under the weight of realization. He was acting the same way as him because he _was_ the same way as him.

"Sure, Arthur. What about?" If he had have been alone, he may have allowed the tears growing in his eyes to spill from their lids. As it was, all he could do was blink furiously to stop his inner despair from showing. There was no doubt about it: Arthur was also in love with her, and was going to tell her so now. His mind flickered back to the dream that had haunted him all morning. The groom, maybe it was _him!_

"Uhh, let's go out to the deck shall we?" Arthur continued to speak nervously.

"Okay." Lilette left the room with Arthur towards the steps to go outside. Meanwhile, a certain American was falling apart on the inside, doing his best not to let it show. Everyone was too preoccupied to notice even if he had though.

_Calm down Alfred. You may be over re-acting. Maybe he just wanted to explain magic to her a bit more, due to today's incident. Yeah, that must be it. _But somewhere inside him, he knew that he was clutching at straws. No, he _had _to know the truth. He knew it could break him, but he decided it would be better than not knowing at all.

Since everyone in the room was too drunk to care, Alfred slipped out of the room and up to the deck. He slipped around a corner to where he could see what was happening, but wouldn't be seen. He hated the thought of spying and almost turned back, when he heard the words that made him freeze.

"Lilette, I don't know how to put this, so I'll just try to say it straight out. I-I'm...I'm.."

"What is it?"

Arthur drew a deep breath and summoned all of his courage. Alfred held his breath to be sure to catch what was about to be said. "I'm in love with you. You're kind to everyone, even those who were meant to destroy and those who tried. You're a wonderful girl and I... I just wanted you to know."

Alfred turned slightly to focus on Lilette's reaction. She was certainly taken aback by his words, that was evident from the shock on her face. Several moments had gone by before she finally spoke.

"Arthur, I...I don't know what to say. But... you once said that I reminded you of Elizabeth. Is she... someone dear to you?"

_Elizabeth? Wasn't he married to an Elizabeth some few hundred years ago? What's she doing? _In his heart, Alfred hoped that she was trying to lead him off subject, but part of him realized it must be related.

"Yes, she was. A few hundred years ago, she was my wife. We had some good years together, but in the end she died just after the start of the 17th century."

"Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to bring up a hurtful subject. But may I ask, did you marry again?"

A certain sadness entered Arthur's eyes. Alfred already knew the truth, but it still hurt to see the pain in his brother's eyes after all these years.

"No. I never met anyone else. That is, until now."

Lilette went silent. It was plain that all three of them knew where this was going.

"Please, don't think that I see Elizabeth when I look at you. That is not the case here. I just wanted you to know before I..." Alfred's heart seemed to stop as Arthur took both of her hands into his gently. He knew what was going to happen next. He couldn't take it anymore. The tears that he had tried so desperately to hide now made their appearance, burning his eyes as they escaped down his cheeks. The dream, it had must have been designed purely to torture his soul. No, it was no dream. It was a vision of what would be. Arthur was going to propose, she would say yes, and when they docked in Forain... more tears flooded out.

_Maybe she won't..._ He stopped the thought. The wishful thinking was killing him. Of course she would. Arthur was a hard working, down-to-earth gentleman. He on the other hand, was a guy that couldn't keep his head out of the clouds for five seconds. So what if Arthur couldn't cook a good meal to save his life? When you have the rest of it going for you, who cares?

Arthur slowly went down on his knee. "I don't have a ring with me, so I'm afraid it won't be traditional but..." He cleared his throat and took another deep breath. "Would you, Lilette Einmell, give me the honor of your hand in marriage?"

Alfred had heard enough. He quietly turned back and went back to the stairs, not waiting to hear the answer he already knew. About halfway down, just before anyone could see, he dried off his now rather damp face. _Make her happy, damn it. Make her happy. _He felt a stab of pain go through his side, but he couldn't bring himself to care about it. After he was certain that his grief was invisible, he entered the room to hear Feliciano playing a guitar that he didn't know existed, and everyone sitting around in a circle clapping to the beat. Most times he would join in on the fun, but now he could only bear to watch. He glimpsed Ivan sitting next to Flat, with his cheeks flushed with a rosy pink. If it weren't for his current state, Alfred would have teased him about it. He did manage to chuckle slightly, though.

He looked to see a couple of the others glancing at him and exchanging secret smiles to one another. Luckily for them, Ivan seemed oblivious to it. Instead, his eyes followed Flat's gaze, which were focused on someone else.

Feliciano.

_Poor girl. I bet she doesn't know that he's not single._

Suddenly, Ivan stood up and extended his hand to her. Judging by the big 'Ooooooooooouuuuuuuuuuuu' that echoed through the room, he had just asked her to dance. To what appeared to be his shock, she accepted, triggering several cheers and a certain 'Ohonhonhonhonhon'. Alfred watched him twirl her around the floor while he tried to get his mind off of his problems. The song was almost over when it happened.

The mildly annoying pain stabbing at his side peaked as if he had been shot, causing him to collapse. He realized now that it had nothing to do with the heartbreak running through him.

The others, including Arthur and Lilette who had entered in time to see him fall, gathered around him as he clued into what was wrong.

Back on Earth, a place called Pearl Harbor had just been attacked.

Within seconds, he was unconscious.

**A/N: **Before anyone says anything, I am not making Japan/Kiku into a bad guy here or anything of the kind. I plan to use this event for later purposes in the plot and nothing more.


	7. Darkness

The world before Alfred's eyes seemed like an endless black abyss. He found himself standing alone wondering where he hell he was. One minute, he was watching the finish of a dance between Flat and a very nervous and blushing Ivan. _Lol, you'll never see that again. _

But enough with chuckling over rarities, he needed to know why he was unconscious. All he knew at the moment was that a port in his country had been attacked, but that shouldn't have knocked him out like it did. The nagging pain at his side was pretty strong, but it felt nothing like the pain in his heart. The dream from that morning (or last night) floated by him like a picture, only the groom, once an unclear blur, had Arthur's face. He remembered foolishly hoping that he would be the one. _So this is what they call a broken heart. Strange, it feels more like being ripped apart. "Broken" has nothing to do with it._ He was glad there was no one else in this strange dimension to see the tears flowing down his face.

At least, that's what he originally thought.

A shadowy figure appeared before him, making him jump slightly. "Who's there?" Alfred called out into nothing.

Alfred could just make out a smirk. "Awww, forgotten me already, have you?" The man chuckled. "Feeling...ripped, as you put it?"

Alfred gritted his teeth. "Tantibus, you ba-"

"Easy now. I noticed your present state and couldn't help but come to grace you with my presence."

"Some grace. What do you want?" Alfred spat. He was certainly in no mood to put up with the nightmare spirit right now.

"To make you an offer."

Alfred opened his mouth to turn it down, but Tantibus raised a finger to silence him. "Hear me out. I have seen your affections towards this demon girl that accompanies you, and couldn't help but see that her heart longs for another." He paused to watch the effect of his words on the young nation. "I could change that reality. You and her, you could be together forever." He held out his hand as he watched the temptation settle in Alfred's mind. "All you have to do is take my hand, and this reality is yours to live happily with your dear Lilette."

Alfred stared at the hand in silence, his body shaking ever so slightly. He closed his eyes, picturing what that would be like. _It's a trick Alfred. Stop._

His right hand began to shake more violently.

_Stop!_

A life with Lilette by his side.

_No! They need you in reality!_

This could be reality.

_Idiot!_

He felt his hand move slightly. Tantibus smiled, his arm still outstreched.

"All you have to do is take my hand." He repeated.

* * *

Arthur and Lilette returned inside from the deck only to be greeted by the sight of Alfred's body crumbling to the floor a few feet away. For a moment, the room seemed to freeze.

The room was silent for a moment and the stared at him. With a closer look, blood could be seen at the corners of his mouth.

Lilette was the first to break the silence as she ran forward. "Alfred! Alfred, wake up! ALFRED! Come on!" Tears started to pool in her eyes.

Arthur also darted over to the unconscious form of his brother, checking for wounds. He found a small amount of blood streaming from his side. "Something's going on back home. Ivan, see if you can get your sister.

Ivan closed his eyes, trying to contact his Guardian/crazy sister with his mind. "She says that there was something happening at a harbour. That's pretty well it."

"Something like that, serious as is, shouldn't result in unconsciousness. Maybe there's something else." Ludwig said thoughtfully.

"A powerful emotion being experienced at the time would do it, aru"

Kiku and Francis exchanged glances. They knew exactly what was going on.

* * *

Alfred slapped Tantibus's hand away. "No! I'm going back to reality now if you don't mind. I refuse to be part of your sick game! They need me back thee, and what kind of hero would I be if I abandoned them?"

To Alfred's surprise, the nightmare spirit smiled. "You know, your emotional state and physical wounds can leave your body in chaos. Normally, it wouldn't be more than a little insult to injury, but with my help... you can stay like this forever. Besides, I think I could use a good strong body like this, and since you won't be needing it I'll just take it of your hands." Alfred felt the ground shake beneath him, which he wasn't sure was possible considering there _was_ no ground. "Have a good sleep." Tantibus taunted before disappearing into the darkness as he felt himself fade away.

* * *

Ivan, clutching Flat's hand, pressed a finger on his ally's neck. He withdrew slowly. "It seems he has no pulse, da?"

"WHAT!?" Lilette lunged forward and pressed her ear to his heart, just as he had done a few hours before. Only this time, there was no pulse to be heard. More tears welled in her eyes.

"He's, he's..." Lilette was unable to finish the sentence and burst fully into tears, crying into his leather jacket. _I never even got to tell him... Oh Uli...Why?_

Everyone else, especially Arthur, stiffened._ Come on you git do you really want to break her heart like this? By DYING! What in the fucking bloody hell COME BACK! _He thought back to what Lilette had said to him just moments before.

*flashback*

Arthur waited, his heart on the line, for her reply.

At long last, Lilette sighed. "I can't. I'm sorry." She answered. She couldn't hear it, but Arthur's heart was splitting in it's center at those few words. Arthur rose from his knee to meet her gaze. "Despite what you say, I still feel like you're seeing Elizabeth when you look at me. I don't want to feel like someone else."

Arthur smiled sadly, understanding her words. _She might be right, but still..._

"Also... I think...I think that I'm..." She sucked in a deep breath. "...In love with someone else."

Arthur shot her a curious look. While reading her face, he finally realized. "I think I know who you're talking about. Would guessing that your heart lies with Alfred be too far out in left fielld?"

Lilette's face sweetly flushed a deep red.

Arthur smiled, less sad this time. _Now that I think about it...Arthur you bloody git. _That's_ why he's so much more mature now. Why couldn't I see it before? He fancies her! _He chuckled to himself.

"What is it?" Lilette asked.

"I was just thinking."

"About what?"

Arthur grinned. "Elizabeth was asked to marry by other men. It's so inconceivable, but she turned every one of them down. I still can't quite believe that it was me who was lucky enough to put a ring on her hand."

Lilette smiled sweetly. "Don't worry. You'll find her again someday." With that she started back inside, Arhur walking behind her.

*flashback end*

"Impossible, aru"

"A-Alfred..." Francis gasped.

While everyone else just stared, either holding tears already crying, or just plain confused, Feliciano was watching the body intently.

"Veh, guys, I'm the only one of us that's thinking here?"

_Irony irony irony _everyone else thought.

"Lilette, did anyone tell you about us? You know, the nation thing?"

Much to everyone's surprise, Lilette nodded.

"Good, this will be easier to explain. For one of us, there's our opposite called a second player, or 2p. Francis, you remember when you told me that the Hol-... that a friend of mine had died, right?" He half turned to the Frenchman.

He nodded, still confused.

"Do you remember my body seeming to die, and then it came back with the other guy's soul controlling it?"

A collective gasp of comprehension rose around the room.

"For another soul to take over, the body needs to 'die' for it to happen."

Everyone reverted their attention back to Alfred, partially wondering if this was the case, and partially wondering when Feliciano started using his brain.

Sure enough, Alfred moved and opened his eyes. However, they were not the sky blue that everyone had known. Instead, both eyes were entirely black.

Lilette curiously peered into them. "A-Alfred? Is that you?"

"Alfred" sat up and stared through her eyes. "Not quite love." The once cheery voice suddenly sounded darker.

Lilette and the Allies froze. They knew that voice.

Tantibus.


End file.
